DreamWorks
For the bulk of every Rocky and Bullwinkle episode, moose and squirrel would engage in high concept escapades that satirized geopolitics, contemporary cinema, and the very fabrics of the human condition. With all of that to work with, there's no excuse for why the pair and their Soviet nemeses haven't gotten a decent movie adaptation. But the ingenious Mr. Peabody and his faithful boy Sherman are another story, intercut between Rocky and Bullwinkle segments to teach kids brief history lessons and toss in a nearly lethal dose of puns. Their stories and relationship were much simpler, which means that bringing their shtick to the big screen would entail a lot more invention — always risky when you're dealing with precious material.
For the most part, Mr. Peabody &amp; Sherman handles the regeneration of its heroes aptly, allowing for emotionally substance in their unique father-son relationship and all the difficulties inherent therein. The story is no subtle metaphor for the difficulties surrounding gay adoption, with society decreeing that a dog, no matter how hyper-intelligent, cannot be a suitable father. The central plot has Peabody hosting a party for a disapproving child services agent and the parents of a young girl with whom 7-year-old Sherman had a schoolyard spat, all in order to prove himself a suitable dad. Of course, the WABAC comes into play when the tots take it for a spin, forcing Peabody to rush to their rescue.
Getting down to personals, we also see the left brain-heavy Peabody struggle with being father Sherman deserves. The bulk of the emotional marks are hit as we learn just how much Peabody cares for Sherman, and just how hard it has been to accept that his only family is growing up and changing.
DreamWorks
But more successful than the new is the film's handling of the old — the material that Peabody and Sherman purists will adore. They travel back in time via the WABAC Machine to Ancient Egypt, the Renaissance, and the Trojan War, and 18th Century France, explaining the cultural backdrop and historical significance of the settings and characters they happen upon, all with that irreverent (but no longer racist) flare that the old cartoons enjoyed. And oh... the puns.
Mr. Peabody &amp; Sherman is a f**king treasure trove of some of the most amazingly bad puns in recent cinema. This effort alone will leave you in awe.
The film does unravel in its final act, bringing the science-fiction of time travel a little too close to the forefront and dropping the ball on a good deal of its emotional groundwork. What seemed to be substantial building blocks do not pay off in the way we might, as scholars of animated family cinema, have anticipated, leaving the movie with an unfinished feeling.
But all in all, it's a bright, compassionate, reasonably educational, and occasionally funny if not altogether worthy tribute to an old favorite. And since we don't have our own WABAC machine to return to a time of regularly scheduled Peabody and Sherman cartoons, this will do okay for now.
If nothing else, it's worth your time for the puns.
3/5
Follow @Michael Arbeiter
//
| Follow @Hollywood_com
//

Widening the thematic scope without sacrificing too much of the claustrophobia that made the original 1979 Alien universally spooky Prometheus takes the trophy for this summer's most adult-oriented blockbuster entertainment. The movie will leave your mouth agape for its entire runtime first with its majestic exploration of an alien planet and conjectures on the origins of the human race second with its gross-out body horror that leaves no spilled gut to the imagination. Thin characters feel more like pawns in Scott's sci-fi prequel but stunning visuals shocking turns and grand questions more than make up for the shallow ensemble. "Epic" comes in many forms. Prometheus sports all of them.
Based on their discovery of a series of cave drawings all sharing a similar painted design Elizabeth (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie (Logan Marshall-Green) are recruited by Weyland to head a mission to another planet one they believe holds the answers to the creation of life on Earth. Along for the journey are Vickers (Charlize Theron) the ruthless Weyland proxy Janek (Idris Elba) a blue collar captain a slew of faceless scientists and David (Michael Fassbender) HAL 9000-esque resident android who awakens the crew of spaceship Prometheus when they arrive to their destination. Immediately upon descent there's a discovery: a giant mound that's anything but natural. The crew immediately prepares to scope out the scene zipping up high-tech spacesuits jumping in futuristic humvees and heading out to the site. What they discover are the awe-inspiring creations of another race. What they bring back to the ship is what they realize may kill their own.
The first half of Prometheus could be easily mistaken for Steven Spielberg's Alien a sense of wonder glowing from every frame not too unlike Close Encounters. Scott takes full advantage of his fictional settings and imbues them with a reality that makes them even more tantalizing. He shoots the vistas of space and the alien planet like National Geographic porn and savors the interior moments on board the Prometheus full of hologram maps sleeping pods and do-it-yourself surgery modules with the same attention. Prometheus is beautiful shot in immersive 3D that never dampers Dariusz Wolski's sharp photography. Scott's direction seems less interested in the run-or-die scenario set up in the latter half of the film but the film maintains tension and mood from beginning to end. It all just gets a bit…bloodier.
Jon Spaihts' and Damon Lindelof's script doesn't do the performers any favors shuffling them to and fro between the ship and the alien construction without much room for development. Reveals are shoehorned in without much setup (one involving Theron's Vickers that's shockingly mishandled) but for the most part the ensemble is ready to chomp into the script's bigger picture conceits. Rapace is a physical performer capable of pulling off a grisly scene involving an alien some sharp objects and a painful procedure (sure to be the scene of the blockbuster season. Among the rest of the crew Fassbender's David stands out as the film's revelatory performance delivering a digestible ambiguity to his mechanical man that playfully toys with expectations from his first entrance. The creature effects in Prometheus will wow you but even Fassbender's smallest gesture can send the mind spinning. The power of his smile packs more of a punch than any facehugger.
Much like Lindelof's Lost Prometheus aims to explore the idea of asking questions and seeking answers and on Scott's scale it's a tremendous unexpected ride. A few ideas introduced to spur action fall to the way side in the logic department but with a clear mission and end point Prometheus works as a sweeping sci-fi that doesn't require choppy editing or endless explosions to keep us on the edge of our seats. Prometheus isn't too far off from the Alien xenomorphs: born from existing DNA of another creature the movie breaks out as its own beast. And it's wilder than ever.
="font-style:>

A kids’ movie without the cheeky jokes for adults is like a big juicy BLT without the B… or the T. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted may have a title that sounds like it was made up in a cartoon sequel laboratory but when it comes to serving up laughs just think of the film as a BLT with enough extra bacon to satisfy even the wildest of animals — or even a parent with a gaggle of tots in tow. Yes even with that whole "Afro Circus" nonsense.
It’s not often that we find exhaustively franchised films like the Madagascar set that still work after almost seven years. Despite being spun off into TV shows and Christmas specials in addition to its big screen adventures the series has not only maintained its momentum it has maintained the part we were pleasantly surprised by the first time around: great jokes.
In this third installment of the series – the trilogy-maker if you will – directing duo Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath add Conrad Vernon (director Monsters Vs. Aliens) to the helm as our trusty gang swings back into action. Alex the lion (Ben Stiller) Marty the zebra (Chris Rock) Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer) are stuck in Africa after the hullaballoo of Madagascar 2 and they’ll do anything to get back to their beloved New York. Just a hop skip and a jump away in Monte Carlo the penguins are doing their usual greedy schtick but the zoo animals catch up with them just in time to catch the eye of the sinister animal control stickler Captain Dubois (Frances McDormand). And just like that the practically super human captain is chasing them through Monte Carlo and the rest of Europe in hopes of planting Alex’s perfectly coifed lion head on her wall of prized animals.
Luckily for pint-sized viewers Dubois’ terrifying presence is balanced out by her sheer inhuman strength uncanny guiles and Stretch Armstrong flexibility (ah the wonder of cartoons) as well as Alex’s escape plan: the New Yorkers run away with the European circus. While Dubois’ terrifying Doberman-like presence looms over the entire film a sense of levity (which is a word the kiddies might learn from Stiller’s eloquent lion) comes from the plan for salvation in which the circus animals and the zoo animals band together to revamp the circus and catch the eye of a big-time American agent. Sure the pacing throughout the first act is practically nonexistent running like a stampede through the jungle but by the time we're palling around under the big top the film finds its footing.
The visual splendor of the film (and man is there a champion size serving of it) the magnificent danger and suspense is enhanced to great effect by the addition of 3D technology – and not once is there a gratuitous beverage or desperate Crocodile Dundee knife waved in our faces to prove its worth. The caveat is that the soundtrack employs a certain infectious Katy Perry ditty at the height of the 3D spectacular so parents get ready to hear that on repeat until the leaves turn yellow.
But visual delights and adventurous zoo animals aside Madagascar 3’s real strength is in its script. With the addition of Noah Baumbach (Greenberg The Squid and the Whale) to the screenwriting team the script is infused with a heightened level of almost sarcastic gravitas – a welcome addition to the characteristically adult-friendly reference-heavy humor of the other Madagascar films. To bring the script to life Paramount enlisted three more than able actors: Vitaly the Siberian tiger (Bryan Cranston) Gia the Leopard (Jessica Chastain) and Stefano the Italian Sealion (Martin Short). With all three actors draped in European accents it might take viewers a minute to realize that the cantankerous tiger is one and the same as the man who plays an Albuquerque drug lord on Breaking Bad but that makes it that much sweeter to hear him utter slant-curse words like “Bolshevik” with his usual gusto.
Between the laughs the terror of McDormand’s Captain Dubois and the breathtaking virtual European tour the Zoosters’ accidental vacation is one worth taking. Madagascar 3 is by no means an insta-classic but it’s a perfectly suited for your Summer-at-the-movies oasis.

The prestigious Cannes Film Festival, which kicks off its 65th year on May 16, is the unspoken starting line for 2012's lengthy awards season race. Most of the films that attend have been produced outside of Hollywood, only to be brought into the fold by studios antsy for a end-of-the-year Oscar contender. Over the course of eleven days, buyers from studios and production companies all over the world will gather at the French fest to watch movies, lay down dollars and hope they walk away with big names, big stars and big titles to put in theaters for us average moviegoer to check out down the road. Lots of pressure for those at the fest, lots of rewards for film fans.
Below if the official line-up of films playing Cannes 2012, and you can keep checking back over the next week and a half for updates on who picked them up and when they might be making their way to a theater near you!
In Competition:
Rust and Bone - dir. Jacques Audiard
The Marion Cotillard romantic drama has been acquired by several companies, but so far, no American distributors.
Moonrise Kingdom - dir. Wes Anderson
Focus Features will release the film on May 25th. You can watch the trailer here!
Holy Motors - dir. Leos Carax
Cosmopolis - dir. David Cronenberg
Robert Pattinson's collaboration with delightfully wild Cronenberg has been picked by EOne for release this year. Watch the trailer here!
The Paperboy - dir. Lee Daniels
The Zac Efron/Nicole Kidman pairing has yet to find a home, but we have seen a few choice pics.
Killing Them Softly - dir. Andrew Dominik
Formerly titled Cogan's Trade, the Brad Pitt drama is set to be released by The Weinstein Company on September 21, 2012.
Reality - dir. Matteo Garrone
Love - dir. Michael Haneke
Sony Pictures Classics has picked up the filmmaker's follow up to the Oscar-nominated The White Ribbon. Here's the first trailer:
Lawless - dir. John Hillcoat
The Shia Labeouf/Tom Hardy period drama will be released by Weinstein Company on August 31. Watch the full trailer here!
In Another Country - dir. Hong Sang So
The Taste of Money - dir. Im Sang So
Like Someone In Love - dir. Abbas Kiarostami
The Angels' Share - dir. Ken Loach
In The Fog - dir. Sergei Loznitsa
Beyond The Hills - dir. Cristian Mungiu
Baad el Mawkeaaa (Apres La Bataille) - dir. Yousry Nasrallah
Mud - dir. Jeff Nichols
The Matthew McConaughey-starrer is currently without distribution. See the first clip from the movie below:
You Haven't Seen Anything Yet - dir. Alan Resnais
Post Tenebras Lux - dir. Carlos Reygadas
On The Road - dir. Walter Salles
The long-gestating adaptation starring Kirsten Stewart and Garrett Hedlund will be distributed by Sundance Selects. Watch the trailer here!
Paradise: Love - dir. Ulrich Seidl
The Hunt - dir. Thomas Vinterberg
Mads Mikkelsen stars in the drama that has yet to find distribution. Watch the first clip from the film below:
Un Certain Regard:
La Playa - dir. Juan Andres Arango
Miss Lovely - dir. Achim Ahluwalia
God's Horses - dir. Nabel Ayouch
Antiviral - dir. Brandon Cronenberg
Trois Mondes - dir. Catherine Corsini
7 Days In Havana - dir. Benicio Del Toro, Gaspar Noe, Laurence Cantat
Laurence Anyways - dir. Xavier Dolan
Le Grand Soir - dir. Benoit Delepine and Gustave Kervern
Aimer A Perdre La Raison - dir. Joachim LaFosse
Después De Lucia - dir. Michel Franco
Mystery - dir. Lou Ye
Student - dir. Darezhan Omirbayev
La Pirogue - dir. Moussa Toure
Confession Of A Child Of The Century - dir. Sylvie Verheyde
The White Elephant - dir. Pablo Trapero
11:25 The Day He Chose His Own Fate - dir. Koje Wakamatsu
Beasts Of The Southern Wild - dir. Benh Zeitlin
The Sundance breakout was picked up by Fox Searchlight in January and will hit theaters June 27, 2012. Watch the first trailer here!
Out of Competition:
Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir - dir. Laurent Bouzereau
The Central Park Five - dir. Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon
Garbage In The Garden Of Eden - dir. Faith Akin
Les Invisbles - dir. Sebastien Lifschitz
Journal De France - dir. Claudine Nougaret and Raymond Depardon
Dracula 3D - dir. Dario Argento
The Legend Of Love and Sincerity - dir. Takashi Milke
Mekong Hotel - dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Villegas - dir. Gonzalo Tobak
A Musica Segundo Tom Jobim - dir. Nelson Pereira Dos Santos
Follow Matt Patches on Twitter @misterpatches
More:
Robert Pattinson &amp; Giant Rats Will Freak You Out in Cosmopolis Trailer
Kristen Stewart: Why You'll Rethink the Twilight Star in 2012
Everything You Need to Know About Sundance 2012

This weekend, we will all feel the Wrath of the Titans. The follow-up to the 2010 remake of the fantasy epic Clash of the Titans once again finds Perseus, again played by Sam Worthington, matching wits, and steel with the ancient Greek gods (as well as the dreaded Titans). Along with Worthington, actors Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes return as gods Zeus and Hades respectively. These actors, themselves titans of the screen, got us thinking about our favorite cinematic depictions of deities. Get yourself in the mood for this spring blockbuster by paying them homage.
Zeus (Luke Evans), Immortals
Liam Neeson is far from the only actor to play the supreme deity of Mt. Olympus. In the original Clash of the Titans, the mantle was donned by one of the greatest actors who ever lived: Sir Laurence Olivier.
But as iconic as Olivier’s Zeus remains, one of my favorite portrayals of that mythic patriarch was that created by Luke Evans in Tarsem Singh’s Immortals. Though the movie overall isn’t stellar, Evans’ take on Zeus captures the god’s trademark fiery temper. His edict about the gods not intervening into the fates of men is upheld with a thunderous vengeance. One particular god who dares defy him faces his explosive wrath—a wrath surely no titan could match.
Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Thor
Moving from Greek to Norse mythology, there are few denizens of Asgard mightier and more notable than Thor, the God of Thunder. Last year, Marvel brought this deity, whom they had translated to a comic book uber hero, to the big screen in a stunning 3D epic.
Chris Hemsworth was faced with the daunting task of not only making Thor believable and heroic in his own mythic realm, but also to maintain that sincerity once he is suddenly transported to our dimension. Hemsworth plays mighty and vulnerably out-of-place to perfection and it’s his performance that elevates the film. Plus, how badass is that hammer?
Hades (James Woods), Hercules
One of my favorite Disney animated films is 1997’s Hercules. Of the many fantastic elements of the movie is James Woods’ hilarious take on the Greek god of the underworld: Hades. The film plays up the rivalry between Zeus and Hades, but tamed down a bit for kids.
Woods lends a frantic, comical snark to Hades, but equally entertaining are the moments wherein he flies completely of the handle. The animators design Hades with a perpetual blue flame encompassing his head, which bursts to dizzying heights when he’s angry. One can imagine the joy that would have come from watching Woods record these scenes in the booth.
God (Morgan Freeman), Bruce Almighty
So many actors have played The Big Guy in films that it’s hard to keep track. The short list includes such names as George Burns, Charlton Heston, and even Alanis Morissette. But in 2003’s Bruce Almighty, possibly the definitive portrayal of the man upstairs was crafted by none other than Morgan Freeman. To be fair, Freeman had a major advantage right out of the gate in that the timbre of his voice is naturally rich and, frankly, angelic. But the wisdom, the ironic humor, and the effortlessly imposing presence he brings to the role make this a lovable God you can believe in no matter what your individual faith.
Ryuuk (Shidou Nakamura), Death Note
This one is a bit obscure, but I highly, highly recommend the 2006 film version of Japanese manga/anime Death Note. The story revolves around a young man who comes into possession of a bizarre notebook. Any name he writes in the book will cause the bearer of that name to suffer a heart attack and die within seconds. The notebook formerly belonged to Ryuuk, one of the many gods of death. The design of this animated character, coupled with his unhinged physicality and diabolical chuckle, makes Ryuuk one of the most outlandish and captivating gods ever committed to celluloid.

In the cinematic desert that is the January-February movie-release schedule one gains a greater appreciation for mere competence. And that’s precisely what you’ll get with Man on a Ledge a mid-budget thriller with modest aspirations and genuine popcorn appeal. Sam Worthington (Avatar Clash of the Titans) stars as Nick Cassidy a former New York City cop wrongly convicted for the theft of a prized diamond. After exhausting all judicial avenues for exoneration he takes the unusual and seemingly desperate next step of planting himself on a ledge outside the penthouse of midtown’s Roosevelt Hotel and threatening to jump. An NYPD psychologist (Elizabeth Banks) is summoned to talk him down unaware that Nick harbors an ulterior motive. From his perch above midtown he is secretly orchestrating a scheme to take revenge against the corrupt corporate chieftain (Ed Harris) who engineered his demise and prove his innocence once and for all.
Director Asger Leth making his U.S. feature-film debut with Man on a Ledge keeps the pace brisk and never allows the tone to stray into self-seriousness which is crucial for a movie whose premise is so devoutly ridiculous. The script from Pablo F. Fenjves provides enough feints and twists to keep us engaged. Jamie Bell and Genesis Rodriguez aren’t the most believable of couples but there’s a screwball charm to their comic routine as amateur thieves charged with aiding Nick’s scheme. (Leth can’t resist inserting an entirely superfluous – but nonetheless greatly appreciated – scene of the criminally gorgeous Rodriguez stripping down to a thong in the middle of a heist.) Worthington makes for a likable populist protagonist even if his Australian accent betrays him on copious occasions and Harris’ disturbingly emaciated frame lends an added menace to his devious plutocrat villain.

There may not have been a more relevant motion picture released in the past year than Contagion. Warner Bros.’ fact-based pandemic thriller comes at a time when our world is bracing for the worst and in an age when we’ve seen one far-fetched apocalyptic action flick after another director Steven Soderbergh’s scientific exploration of nature’s greatest weapon plays to our fears with a touch of terrifying realism.
The story which comes courtesy of The Informant!’s Scott Z. Burns is as expansive as the virus itself jumping from one POV charcter and location to the next with each edit. We follow Matt Damon’s devoted husband/father whose wife (Gwyneth Paltrow) is the film’s “index patient” as he navigates a society on the edge of complete breakdown while Laurence Fishburne and his team of CDC experts – including Kate Winslet and Jennifer Ehle – as well as other parties like Marion Cotillard’s World Heath Organization staffer Bryan Cranston’s military man and Jude Law’s pharmapolitical blogger work to cure contain and cover the epidemic respectively. Every member of the A-list ensemble is genuinely on edge and in-tune with the horrifying scenario. Of particular note is Ehle who flawlessly recites her character’s descript dialogue and explicit knowledge of biology with utmost confidence but it’s the cast as a whole that really raises the fear factor throughout the movie. And even though the filmmakers wrap their narrative up a bit too neatly for my taste Contagion ends on an explanatory note that both completes the chronicle and suggests the ease with which a population-decimating virus could breakout.
To complement that notion Warner Home Video has packed a few informative extras into the film’s Blu-ray release that whether intended or not will probably scare the crap out of you. “The Reality of Contagion” finds the cast producers and technical advisors (who would be the real-life heroes if an outbreak on this scale ever occurred) discussing what the world would be like in the wake of a pandemic and whether or not we’re prepared for an international emergency on this level. “The Contagion Detectives” brings you face to face with the real doctors and scientists who research new diseases and how they helped the actors understand the material while “Contagion: How a Virus Changes the World” presents a lighter look at what happens to the economy and society in the midst of a biological disaster. As told through a virtual infographic it’s basically a summation of the rest of the bonus material and the film itself.
While Contagion stands out as one of the more affecting films of the year it’s home entertainment release doesn’t do it any justice. For one thing there’s no commentary track and on any Soderbergh picture that’s something that I hotly anticipate (especially given his impending “retirement.”) Also missing are deleted scenes and production featurettes – something I consider must-haves. The movie looks great in its 1080p HD transfer and Cliff Martinez’ subtle electronic score sounds fantastic in 5.1 digital surround sound so fans will want to own this package regardless of the slim special features. But even with a DVD and UltraViolet digital copy included I’m left wondering what could have been…

Contagion a sharp thriller from writer/director/cinematographer/editor/do-all Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s 11 The Informant!) is like an adaptation of a Michael Crichton novel that never was. The movie quickly sets up its pawns in order to engage you in a game of pandemic chess where the terror comes from science and the humanity comes from your own empathy. Instead of relying on a sci-fi backstory outlandish deaths or large-scale set pieces Soderbergh lets the facts do the talking—and it's scary as hell.
Much like his Oscar-winning film Traffic Soderbergh unfolds the story by weaving in and out between a series of character perspectives: Matt Damon's Mitch who loses his wife to a mysterious virus and strives to protect the rest of his family; Laurence Fishburne and Jennifer Ehle members of the Center for Disease Control racing against the clock to find a cure; Kate Winslet's Erin a field agent tracking down the source of the American outbreak; Jude Law's Alan a high-profile blogger searching for the truth behind the disease; and Marion Cotillard's Dr. Orantes another agent hunting for Patient Zero in Hong Kong. While the drama spans globally each characters' quarrels are playing out in a claustrophobic scenario a world in which any person they meet any object they touch can infect them with the life-threatening disease.
Soderbergh doesn't have much time to dive into his characters' backstories but the film's screenwriter Scott Z. Burns carefully constructs each scene to deliver just the right balance of terrifying scientific babble and revealing personal drama. When the virus starts massacring the world population and vandalism riots and societal unrest emerge the thing that makes Contagion click is our interest in the personal stories. Damon as seems to be the case with everything he touches elevates the material being the perfect everyman and our surrogate for the too-plausible-for-comfort scenario. Fishburne too turns what's normally a plot-forwarding government agent role into a man dealing with the weight of his decisions watching citizens of the country drop like flies from his ivory tower. It's heavy stuff but Burns' playful dialogue helps the cast lighten the harrowing mood—only so the movie can pull the carpet from underneath you over and over again.
But in the end Contagion is Soderbergh's show. The director uses every ounce of cinematic artistry to leave us squirming in our seats with a fetishistic approach to shooting the most mundane of objects. The close-up is Soderbergh's weapon of choice honing in on common day objects that we realize are infested with germs (with the effect amplified by a thousand if you catch the movie in IMAX). A door handle a bathroom drier button the human face—Soderbergh lingers as a reminder of his invisible villain: the virus. That's a compliment: the design and photography is striking the purposefully pristine picture quality fills the characters' quest to stay healthy with tension. Composer Cliff Martinez's electronic score compliments the icky scenario germinating over the picture like audible infection. The world of the film is rich with detail. Just the icky kind.
Contagion isn't flawless. With so much going on things fall to the wayside—Cotillard's plotline specifically gets lost in the shuffle—but the reality keeps us engrossed. The movie plays like an oral history of a horrific event with each detail frighteningly exposed. Except in the case of Contagion it's not an event that has happened so much as one that could happen.
And at any moment.

The first and most important thing you should know about Paramount Pictures’ Thor is that it’s not a laughably corny comic book adaptation. Though you might find it hokey to hear a bunch of muscled heroes talk like British royalty while walking around the American Southwest in LARP garb director Kenneth Branagh has condensed vast Marvel mythology to make an accessible straightforward fantasy epic. Like most films of its ilk I’ve got some issues with its internal logic aesthetic and dialogue but the flaws didn’t keep me from having fun with this extra dimensional adventure.
Taking notes from fellow Avenger Iron Man the story begins with an enthralling event that takes place in a remote desert but quickly jumps back in time to tell the prologue which introduces the audience to the shining kingdom of Asgard and its various champions. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) son of Odin is heir to the throne but is an arrogant overeager and ill-tempered rogue whose aggressive antics threaten a shaky truce between his people and the frost giants of Jotunheim one of the universe’s many realms. Odin (played with aristocratic boldness by Anthony Hopkins) enraged by his son’s blatant disregard of his orders to forgo an assault on their enemies after they attempt to reclaim a powerful artifact banishes the boy to a life among the mortals of Earth leaving Asgard defenseless against the treachery of Loki his mischievous “other son” who’s always felt inferior to Thor. Powerless and confused the disgraced Prince finds unlikely allies in a trio of scientists (Natalie Portman Stellan Skarsgard and Kat Dennings) who help him reclaim his former glory and defend our world from total destruction.
Individually the make-up visual effects CGI production design and art direction are all wondrous to behold but when fused together to create larger-than-life set pieces and action sequences the collaborative result is often unharmonious. I’m not knocking the 3D presentation; unlike 2010’s genre counterpart Clash of the Titans the filmmakers had plenty of time to perfect the third dimension and there are only a few moments that make the decision to convert look like it was a bad one. It’s the unavoidable overload of visual trickery that’s to blame for the frost giants’ icy weaponized constructs and other hybrids of the production looking noticeably artificial. Though there’s some imagery to nitpick the same can’t be said of Thor’s thunderous sound design which is amped with enough wattage to power The Avengers’ headquarters for a century.
Chock full of nods to the comics the screenplay is both a strength and weakness for the film. The story is well sequenced giving the audience enough time between action scenes to grasp the characters motivations and the plot but there are tangential narrative threads that disrupt the focus of the film. Chief amongst them is the frost giants’ fore mentioned relic which is given lots of attention in the first act but has little effect on the outcome. In addition I felt that S.H.I.E.L.D. was nearly irrelevant this time around; other than introducing Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye the secret security faction just gets in the way of the movie’s momentum.
While most of the comedy crashes and burns there are a few laughs to be found in the film. Most come from star Hemsworth’s charismatic portrayal of the God of Thunder. He plays up the stranger-in-a-strange-land aspect of the story with his cavalier but charming attitude and by breaking all rules of diner etiquette in a particularly funny scene with the scientists whose respective roles as love interest (Portman) friendly father figure (Skarsgaard) and POV character (Dennings) are ripped right out of a screenwriters handbook.
Though he handles the humorous moments without a problem Hemsworth struggles with some of the more dramatic scenes in the movie; the result of over-acting and too much time spent on the Australian soap opera Home and Away. Luckily he’s surrounded by a stellar supporting cast that fills the void. Most impressive is Tom Hiddleston who gives a truly humanistic performance as the jealous Loki. His arc steeped in Shakespearean tragedy (like Thor’s) drums up genuine sympathy that one rarely has for a comic book movie villain.
My grievances with the technical aspects of the production aside Branagh has succeeded in further exploring the Marvel Universe with a film that works both as a standalone superhero flick and as the next chapter in the story of The Avengers. Thor is very much a comic book film and doesn’t hide from the reputation that its predecessors have given the sub-genre or the tropes that define it. Balanced pretty evenly between “serious” and “silly ” its scope is large enough to please fans well versed in the source material but its tone is light enough to make it a mainstream hit.